1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to a stove for burning wood logs and, more particularly, to a highly efficient wood burning stove having a log storage chamber from which logs are fed automatically by gravity into a burning fire, as logs fed earlier are consumed by the fire, resulting in a wood burning fire over a longer period of time with little or no needed attention.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Until recent years many, if not most, modern heating systems have relied on petroleum products, in particular fuel oil, as a primary source of energy. However, the steady increase in the cost of fuel oil in the more recent years, accentuated by the growing rate of inflation, has created increased interest in alternate fuel sources. One source of heat that is experiencing revived interest and presently has substantial popularity is the wood burning stove which capitalizes on, and makes use of, the nation's abundant wood supply. Although many innovations have been introduced in wood burning stoves over those used in years past, certain troublesome disadvantages still continue to exist. One such disadvantage results from the fact that all wood burning stoves of which I am aware, and which have existed prior to my invention, must be manually stoked at relatively frequent intervals, to ensure a continuous fire and the resultant desired heat output. Also, despite various improvements in burning efficiency, a substantial portion of the inherent energy present in wood consumed by present wood stoves is lost in the form of combustion products that are discharged through chimneys.
Accordingly, a major object of this invention is to provide not only more efficient wood burning stoves but one in which the necessary frequency of manual stoking is reduced.